Battle of Xintai

The Battle of Xintai occurred in 193 AD when the army of Liu Bei attacked the Han army of Tian Feng as it traversed his lands in Dong Commandery. Liu Bei destroyed Tian Feng's army as it threatened the interior of his lands, removing a threat to Dong before he marched on to take Langye from the Han loyalists.

Background
As the warlord Liu Bei expanded his domain to include former Yellow Turban lands in Dong, Taishan, and Henei Commanderies, the Han forces loyal to the Dong Zhuo-controlled Imperial Court remained dormant, passing by Liu Bei's lands without attacking his vulnerable settlements. After subduing Huang Shao's Yellow Turbans at the town of Henei and convincing the Han-controlled city to peacefully surrender, Liu Bei marched back to his own lands to deal with Tian Feng's roving Han army, which had threatened to attack his vulnerable interior cities. Liu Bei met Tian Feng's army at Xintai, located just south of Taishan, and the outnumbered Han troops drew up defensive positions atop a hill.

Battle
When the battle began, the Han archers came out of the woods to fire on Liu Bei's army, so he sent his forces to attack the vulnerable archers in close-quarters combat. The Han infantry then came out to do battle, but Liu Bei sent in additional units to attack them from the flanks, massacring them. During the melee, Zhang Fei cut down Tian Feng, and the Han army collapsed. Liu Bei's army suffered just 22 losses while Tian Feng's army lost 600 dead and 90 captured, and the captives were then recruited into Liu Bei's army. The battle removed the threat to Liu Bei's lands, allowing him to march on Langye.